Capricorn
Chapter 40

Yang Tendencies:
* medium height
* serious features
* susceptible (easily influenced)
* fears failure
* conservative
* hospitable
* efficient
* passionate

*

"Waitwaitwaitwait girl calm down," Missy said as she sat up straighter. As soon as she picked up, Adena went on a rambling rampage. Was it the baby? Was it Craig? Taye? What happened now? "Ok breathe, start from the beginning."

Adena took a deep breath. She didn't feel any different. "I was this close to fully trusting him 100%."

Missy got up and closed the door to Ron's bedroom. He was playing the Xbox and didn't need to hear this conversation. "Who? Craig?"

"Yeah..."

"Lordt, what happened?" Missy said. For two people that were so compatible, they sure had their ups and downs.

"I was this close to making a life-changing decision and the universe told me Craig isn't the one."

"You broke up? Again?"

"No, but...I'm making plans for my future, for the baby. I'm looking at 2 bedrooms because unfortunately, this place is kinda small. But I don't want to leave this complex. I like this side of town but the 2 bedrooms are-"

"Expensive as hell" Missy finished for her.

"Exactly but it wouldn't be as expensive if I split it with someone."

Missy's eyes widened. "You asked him to move in?"

"Almost. I was THIS CLOSE."

"What happened?"

"It's like I turned around and he was a totally different person, a person I know too well."

"Girl what?"

"I come home to pizza, beer, video games, and my man sitting on his ass when he should be at work."

"Well you know Craig has a night job.."

"He had a big gig today but it was canceled out of the blue. Just like that. Money he was relying on, gone. What if we needed that to pay rent? To buy food? We would have to try to survive 2 more weeks off of my salary...and I make more than him. Again we would be relying on me. Again, I have to bust my ass."

Missy sighed, Adena's biggest trigger right now was being financially secure, which was a trigger for everyone living paycheck to paycheck, especially in New York City where rent was more expensive than mortgages anywhere else. However, another trigger of hers was men who acted just like Taye. She got it. She didn't want to take care of and babysit another man while she worked all day, especially while pregnant. "I think you should cut Craig some slack..."

"Sounds familiar," Adena said with a sigh, when Taye lost his job, Adena was livid. It wasn't his fault and both Missy and Kim said to 'cut him some slack.' Give him time to get back on his feet. He would do the same for you.

Problem was, he didn't.

She had trusted Taye 200% and he let her down in the worst of ways and more than one. What's to say it won't be the same with Craig? Someone who she cares about really deeply...but the trust is on a slower pace, not even at 100.

"Craig DJs almost every night so he'll get that money back in no time. Tonight even. You just gotta give him some time. You know he would do the same for you. He didn't even know your last name and went out of his way for you. I mean come on, Craig is a stand-up guy. He's a hustler. He's going to make it work no matter what. It's just one gig."

"Can we really be dependent on a DJ's salary? Really? Especially with a baby on the way."

"Look everyone within a 4-hour radius fight and make it work every single day, with all different types of gigs and salaries. We're New Yorkers. We pull through, we always pull through. We make shit work. WE HUSTLE. We from NEW YORK, B!"

Adena sat there and sighed, she still wasn't convinced. "Oh and not only did he miss out on a gig, but he went out and bought an Xbox today for us to 'share.' Knowing damn well that I don't play that shit. If you miss a big paycheck, you can't just go out and splurge-"

"Why not? It's his money, Adena. Remember that Grammy gig, he's still probably got a lot left over so he's not worried right now, and neither should you. You gotta be as stress-free as you can." Missy said and then she decided to give her some truth. "Besides, you guys aren't an item. You're just friends with benefits, why should Craig even try to help out at all? That's not his job description, that's not his role, but he's playing it for you. He stepped in for Taye. You found a good one Adena, be happy. He makes you happy right? Look he's a lot more mature than Taye, but he's a guy in his 20's. If you want a guy who doesn't play video games, get a sugar daddy."

Adena sighed, maybe Missy was right. "Yeah true, I sometimes forget he's only a couple of years older than we are." He acted like he was years older than Taye.

"And we're all young."

"But we're grown, with grown-up problems and grown-up bullshit."

"Does Craig even know about any of this? Your triggers? Your fears? The fact that you were even thinking of asking him to move in and help out? Does he know how you feel?"

"I was just too tired to even go there. Once I saw all that beer spilled on the floor, I needed a second."

"Well, I think you should take a second and explain to him what's up. You owe him that. And I'm pretty sure he would have no problem with helping out. You just gotta ask, Dena."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I'm always right."

"Nope, you're actually wrong about that."

"Well this was a free session, your next sessions are $100 a minute," Missy said as she laid back with a smile, lit her blunt, and smoked it. Maybe she should be a therapist. She loved telling people what to do.

"Whatever," Adena said rolling her eyes playfully.

"So that's your homework assignment, talk to him and we'll circle back next week," Missy said, code-switching to a more professional voice.

Adena chuckled, "Ok thanks Teach."

"Ok, thanks DOC. I'm Dr. Missy the Therapist to you."

"Ok, Doc. Well thanks for listening, I'm sorry. I dumped all of this on you and didn't ask you-"

"Girl it's the same old same old over here. It's funny that you mention moving Craig in because we've been talking about possibly me moving in here."

"Wow really?" Adena asked. Missy has never been in a relationship where she lived with the person before. "Well, you'll really get to know him and what he's all about once you move in."

"Good, it's good to know what pushes his buttons and what doesn't. It's called research." Adena laughed. "Ok well go do your homework now. Sooner the better."

"Ok thanks, Miss, love you Crazy."

"Love you Sexy," Missy said and they hung up. Adena sighed, feeling much better, she was being too hard on Craig. She had to remember he is not to blame for all the pain and stress Taye caused. They were two different people, whether they both loved pizza, beer, and video games or not.

But who doesn't love that?

Adena went to pee for the 10th time today, she washed her hands and walked to her bedroom door. She took a deep breath and opened it. She walked out expecting to see Craig where she left him.

But Craig was gone.

*

Capricorn tigers are not as at ease socially as others and tend to be moody.

*

"Don't cry. Besides, you're Mr. Rich Ass Doctor, you can afford it" Craig teased into his headset, still talking to Ron. Craig killed Ron again meaning he won, which meant the money was his.

"I'm not a doctor yet, I'm an intern."

"Why do you tell me that, but whenever you meet a girl or want something from somebody, all of a sudden you're no longer an intern and are promoted to Doctor?"

"You know why. Don't be stupid."

"Because I don't have a pussy. Got it. Cashapp me and if you don't I'm beating your ass" Craig laughed.

"Since you talking shit, let's go another round."

"Nahhhh..."

"You chicken?"

"I don't have time to beat your ass all day. You need to rest. Tah-tah" he said and logged off before Ron could say another word. He then played around with the different apps on the menu and then smiled when he saw something. A Different World was available to stream, the whole show. Adena would love this. Oh wow, they had Fresh Prince too. He got up and walked toward the bedroom and was about to tap lightly on the door when:

"I was this close to making a life-changing decision and the universe told me Craig isn't the one."

He paused, hold on, what?? He backed away from the door. The sentence punched him in the gut. He wish he hadn't heard it but he did and of course, it wouldn't be a good feeling, not for anybody.

'Walk away before you hear something else.'

But for some reason he couldn't move, maybe he was mistaken, he didn't know exactly what she was talking about. She may just renege on it, maybe she was just talking, you know? Right?

"It's like I turned around and he was a totally different person, a person I know too well."

What in the actual fuck was she talking about right now? Not about him?? Where was she getting this shit from? She certainly wasn't saying that last night when he came back from the club and got in bed with her. She couldn't stop saying his name, how he felt so good, how glad she was that he was there. When she left to go to work, she kissed him on his head while he was sleeping. How did he know? When he looked in the mirror, he had a red lipstick kiss print right on his forehead. She had left a mark on him. He liked it. If it didn't look weird, he would walk around with it. It came off in the shower of course but when he saw her later, he was gonna make sure to tell her how turned on that shit got him.

So what happened between now and then? Was this pregnancy brain or baby brain or whatever the fuck they call it?

"Can we really be dependent on a DJ's salary? Really?"

He couldn't hear another fucking word. Imagine getting a knife stabbed into your back, having that knife twisted 360 degrees, and then having that knife pulled out in slow motion. Torture.

Absolute torture.

He got his jacket and his Timbs and walked out of the apartment. He had to get away before he said or did anything he would regret. Once he got in the elevator, he finished getting dressed. Getting home was a blur, he was on autopilot because he did it so much, he was a robot zombie, going through the motions but emotionless.

He almost kicked down the door of his other apartment. He expected to see Ron on the couch reeling from losing the bet they had just made. However, he wasn't there. "YO!" he said out loud. He walked through the kitchen and up to Ron's door and slammed it open. Missy was there, eyes closed, vibing to whatever she was listening to on her headphones. A lit blunt still burning in the ashtray next to her. She couldn't hear him and didn't know he was there. The music in her headphones was so loud he could even hear it. He had the masculine urge to just pick her up and shake the shit out of her.

Good thing he wasn't that far gone, he grabbed the closest thing to him, which was a towel, and threw it at her. The towel covered her face. She squealed, jumped, and struggled to get the towel off of her. Once she did, she looked and saw him and rolled her eyes. "There were other ways you could have done that."

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU SAY TO HER???" he said. In less than a second, he went from being across the room to being right in front of her, towering over her as she lay on the bed.

Missy leaned back and looked at him with wide eyes, she then rolled them and started looking around.

"WHAT? WHAT? DID YOU HEAR ME EVEN?"

"I'M looking for whoever the fuck you're talking to like that because it ain't me!"

"WELL NEWS FUCKING FLASH, IT IS. WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HER?"

"WHO?"

"DON'T PLAY STUPID WITH ME CUZ I'M THIS CLOSE TO-"

"TO WHAT? TO WHAT NIGGA? WHAT YOU GONNA DO!?" Missy stood up on the bed so she could be at Craig's height.

"YO, WHAT'S GOING ON!?" Ron yelled as he walked in. He put down the bag he had in his hands. He grabbed Craig by the arm but he shrugged him off. "YO BRO WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"

"HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW! ALL BARK AND NO BITE ASS MOTHERFUCKER" Missy shouted back, looking Craig square in his eyes. He glared back at her.

"Yo get out my fucking room, the fuck you think this is?" Ron asked. He hadn't seen Craig this pissed in a long time, not since... "What did she do now? And why is it her fault?" he asked as he nodded his head to Missy.

"That's what I'm trying to find out, what did you say to her Missy? I know she was talking to you."

"You're eavesdropping on her calls now? How do you expect her to trust you at all if you do some corny ass shit like that?"

"That doesn't matter-"

"Yes, it does because if you eavesdropped on the whole conversation and heard my side, you would've heard me vouching for YOUR ASS."

"Missy get down off the bed," Ron said.

"He needs to back the fuck up then."

Craig scoffed and shook his head and took one step back, "There. Chill Missy I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Didn't look like it. I've seen some crazy insecure ass niggas in my lifetime and you look just like them ALL."

"Crazy? Insecure?!"

"Yo, get out my room. You can't talk to my girl like that. Chill the fuck out." Ron said, still in between the two.

"Whatever," Craig said and turned around and slammed the door behind him. Then they heard another door slam.

"You're gonna let him just slam your door like that?"

"Chill Miss, he still technically lives here and you know this is about YOUR friend. So, what did you say to her?"

"It's none of your business. It was girl talk and she confided in me, I'm not telling you what it was about. And if you listen to Craig, that's only one part of one side of the story. He obviously didn't hear the whole thing" she said as she paced back and forth. Ron sighed and noticed her blunt wasn't finished. He picked it up and lit it.

"Here," he said and she snatched it from him. "Chill," he said to her with a look.

"My bad," she said as she took a few puffs. "Just the audacity of him is just..." she then decided to stop talking.

"Was it really that bad, what she said?"

"I don't know what he heard but she just has her doubts that's all."

"She doubts him a lot..."

"She's been through a lot these past few months, her life keeps changing and she really has no control over it."

"She does have control over it. She's paranoid, I'm sure whatever she thinks she sees ain't even how it looks. She's just waiting for him to slip up but he hasn't given her any evidence" Ron said and shook his head, "I told him this would happen."

"I'm not talking about this with you," Missy said, she said too much already. Craig totally ruined her high and she had to start over. He had her shook for a second. He was mad as fuck. When Ron went into the bathroom, Missy picked up her phone, when they picked up she said, "Girl what in the FUCK did you say to him??"

"Say to who?" Adena asked. She was making dinner as Fresh Prince played in the background. Craig must've left it for her when he left in case she got bored. "Besides Chinese food, what else does Craig like to eat? Have you noticed?"

"Huh?"

"I'm cooking...or trying to while I have the energy but I don't want leftovers."

"Girl, do you not realize what you did? Or is he overreacting?"

"What did I do? Who?"

"Craig just burst in here yelling at me. What did you say to him? He looked absolutely crazy."

"I didn't say anything. When I hung up, he was already gone. I figured he went out for a second" Adena said, however when Missy filled her in, she dropped the big wooden spoon she had in her hand.

Shit. What did he hear? What has she done?

*

Despite their moodiness, Capricorn tigers are dependable and good-natured.

*

Craig sighed as his phone rang again, he just needed to turn it off. He looked at it but was surprised to see who was calling this time. "Hey sis, you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. What you doing right now?" Beverly asked him.

"I'm at the club setting up."

"Oh where?"

"Fever, here in Brooklyn. You wanna stop through?"

"No I'm good," she said and he knew she would say that, but it didn't hurt to ask. "Anyway, I have this whole place to myself. Brandon's parents are on vacation again and Brandon is out of town on a business trip."

"Damn sis, you only call me when you're bored."

"It's not like that I swear. How long are you there?"

"I won't leave til 3 or 4, I'm here all night," he said. Where he was going after that, he had no idea. Both Missy and Adena were probably mad at him. Ron too.

"Oh" Beverly sighed.

"You sure you're good sis?" he asked her. "I mean maybe I can come next wee-"

"It's fine. I'm just lonely as hell. They all just left. Gotta be a big girl now."

"Maybe I can come out tomorrow?"

"Would you?"

"Yeah, I don't need to get here til 8."

"I can send a car to get you."

"Word? That's a long drive."

"They do it all the time. They can even pick you up at 4, I'll be up."

"Why would you be up at 4 am?"

"Well by the time you get here, I'll be in the gym downstairs for my sunrise yoga."

"Um...ok, I mean if they don't mind," he said with a shrug. Sis actually needed him for once, so he needed to be there for her.

"Great, text me the address and they'll be waiting wherever you let your VIP people sit."

Craig smiled, hearing the smile in her voice. "Ok thanks, sis. See ya later."

Wow, seeing his sister twice in one year. This hasn't happened in years. He was about to put his phone in his pocket when it rang again. He groaned, however, he was surprised to see who was calling him again. "This is Craig."

"Craig my man, it's Slim. How you been?" Slim was a popular entrepreneur around here, and he was very important to have in your contacts if you were a DJ. He owned several nightclubs in the area and rumor has it that he bought another one and was renovating.

"Slim Jim, long time no see."

"Damn no one has called me that in a minute," he said, "Knowing you, you're probably at a gig right now so I'll make it quick. So one of my beloved DJs got herself knocked up and that big ole belly doesn't exactly fit in this type of atmosphere. She's gonna drop any second and it can't be in my club. I need an immediate replacement and you always come through for me in the past. Can I count on you, my man?"

Craig's eyebrows raised. Whoa, a job offer? However... "Well as you said I'm at a gig right now. I DJ at Fever almost every night of the week and I do happy hour over at the Love Shack during the week."

"When's happy hour over at that gay spot?"

Craig laughed. "It ends at 8 and I usually come straight here."

"Ok, I can deal with that. But whatever Fever is paying you, I'll pay double."

Craig had to sit down. "Wow for real?"

"Yes, before she got knocked up, she was a knockout, know what I mean. I need someone just as popular as she is, preferably someone who can't get pregnant. She's loved here so this will only be temporary, when she's done with maternity leave she'll more than likely come back." Craig thought about it. Should he dip on Fever for a job that wasn't permanent? "But don't worry about that, I just bought another new spot over by Off-Broadway and by the time she comes back, my new club will be open. You can be the DJIR as soon as it opens, how about that?"

DJIR? DJ In Residence. A permanent gig every single night of the week would be more than just DJing, he would be putting on a show. More exposure, better pay, permanent pay, benefits.

"Can we really be dependent on a DJ's salary? Really?"

Actually, you can, when you're DJIR in Times Square he'll be wanted even more. He would be so busy he would be turning down gigs.

He just wished Adena believed in him more.

"Come on man, Fever's got that much of a chokehold on you? Whoever can get me out of this bind will absolutely be promoted to the DJIR position. What is it? You need more pay? You owe people money? What?"

"Nah Slim, I'm sorry. I was just in shock. You can count me in."

"MY MAN!" Slim said gratefully. "Ok, so I need to see you ASAP. When can you get over here?"

"I was going out to Long Island tomorrow, family stuff"

"Oh, that's fine. I'm busy tomorrow, right Tia?" Slim asked someone in the background. "When in my schedule..? Day after tomorrow. 9 am. I know that's early but I promise not to take up too much of your time. You can go home and take a nap, or just do a line, that'll give you another 24 hours."

"9 is fine," Craig said with a shake of his head. He promised himself he would not give into that part of the nightlife again. Time to grow up, glow up, ready for bigger things.

"Alright, I'll text you the address. Thanks again Craig, you're doing me a HUGE favor."

"OMG seriously?!" Beverly said at breakfast the next morning. The driver picked him up as promised and he slept in the car on the way over by the time he got there, Beverly was up with her personal trainer. Little Sis moved on up. "That's amazing, that's the big time in your world right?"

"Yep it is," he said as he drank the mimosa and looked out at the beach. Damn, this was a nice view.

"Well let's toast," Beverly said, lifting her glass. "To the big time." He smiled and toasted as his phone rang again, he regretted turning it on but he wanted to keep it on in case Slim needed to get in touch with him. He's worked with Slim before. You miss a call, you may just miss out on a lot, sometimes everything. However, it wasn't Slim. He sighed and silenced it.

"So what's her name?" Beverly asked him.

"Who?"

"The person calling you. It's either your boss or your boo blowing you up like that and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't keep blowing off your boss."

"Her name's Adena but...she ain't my boo...things are...I don't know..."

"Aww trouble in paradise? How long have you been together?"

"We're friends with benefits. I met her in January, and haven't stopped thinking about her since." Beverly awwed again. "Chill."

"Can I see what she looks like? Please? You gotta have a picture or two in there somewhere."

He handed her his phone, "Just wake it up, she's right there."

She tapped it and the wallpaper was a picture of a really pretty girl, she was wearing a robe and-. "She's beautiful. Wait she's pregnant!? When were you going to tell me!?"

"I'm telling you now, and don't get excited, it's not mine."

Beverly gasped like she witnessed a murder. "WHAT?! Well, I would ignore her calls too, the bitch" she said as she scooted the phone back over to him. "You and these THOTS. So you finally said BYE FELICIA."

"Chill sis, it's not like that. It's impossible for it to be mine, we weren't even togeth...we didn't know each other yet" he said sadly. Would their relationship always be so complicated? Always full of drama? "Also NEVER call her that, she's not a bitch or a thot," he said as Beverly picked up her puppy Pomeranian and put it in her lap. The little shit growled at him. "I'ma throw her off this balcony," he said glaring back at it.

"No, you will not. She's hungry and she knows you're wasting food and she wants it. But now we know why you can't eat."

"It's a long story."

"I love those remember," Beverly said and winked at him. He chuckled. He and their mom taught her how to read practically. "Come on, get it off your chest."

"Let's talk about your lifestyle of the rich and famous instead."

"Please! I can maybe even give you some girl advice."

He sighed as he looked at the view, "She would love it here. She's actually from here originally but I met her in Brooklyn..."

*

After the Tiger, the next Chinese Zodiac animal is the Rabbit. The Rabbit is associated with longevity and the moon. Other astrologers identify them as Cats instead, but not the Chinese.

*

https://youtu.be/SKnA18g3zAg